Royals Select Stephen Woods Jr. in Rule 5 Draft

Woods Jr. had a 1.88 ERA with Advanced-A Charlotte in the Rays’ organization last season

The Kansas City Royals announced today that the club has selected right-handed pitcher Stephen Woods Jr. with the fourth overall pick in the Major League phase of the Rule 5 Draft.

Woods Jr., 24, went 9–3 with a 1.88 ERA (18 ER in 86.1 IP) in 12 starts (18 appearances) with Charlotte (A+), in the Tampa Bay Rays’ organization in 2019. His nine victories tied for fifth most in the Florida State League and included five following the All-Star break. He pitched to a 1.48 ERA (9 ER in 54.2 IP) and held the opposition to a .218 average (43-for-197) during the second half of the season. A native of Huntington,…